Massachusetts Genealogy, With a Focus on Mayflower Families & Other Early Settlers of Plymouth & Barnstable Counties

Welcome! I really enjoy exchanging information with people and hope this blog will help with that. I am not an expert and I consider most of my research as a work in progress. Some of the surnames I'm researching:

In 1657 Ezra was listed as a lieutenant in the militia. In 1671 he was on a committee to view damage done by Indians to horses and hogs belonging to the English. In 1674 and 1677 he served on Grand Inquest juries. In 1679 he was appointed Constable.

On 10 July 1663 Thomas Burgess deeded land at Mannomett (Manamet)to his son-in-law Esra Perrey, planter. Thomas had purchased the land from Myles Standish who had in turn purchased it from Josias, a Nauset Sachem. The land adjoined land where Ezra already had his house. This area was also called Herring River Village in North Sandwich.

In his April 1684 will, Thomas Burgess bequeathed two lots of land to son Ezra Perry as well as additional land if his son Joseph Burgess declines the conditions of land left to him. Ezra and Joseph were co-executors.

Ezra conveyed land to his sons as gifts, probably as they reached age of majority. Each was also given a marriage portion of livestock and furniture.

In 1680 the Perry family purchased lands along the south bank of the Manomet (later Monument) River, in an area that is now the village of Bourne. Some descendants in that town say the family settled there much earlier, but the town records don't prove this.

In 1627, the early Plymouth settlers opened the Aptucxet Trading Post in what is now Bourne. Thomas Burgess purchased the land and then it went to his daughter Elizabeth who was married to Ezra Perry. The property remained in the Perry family for more than 200 years.

The four sons of Ezra Perry--Samuel, Ezra Jr., John and Benjamin--built their cabin in this area and many of the people residing at Bourne have seen the vestiges of this home (this was ca 1890). Tradition says these four sons traded at Herring River and when they returned home at night they would shelter themselves behind a large rock near their house and fire three or four bullets through the door to drive out any lurking Indians. The rock can be seen on land owned by Ordello R. Swift, near the flagstaff in his yard (1890).

Ezra died 16 October 1689 at age 64 in Sandwich, Mass. His gravestone is among the oldest surviving stones at the Old Town Cemetery in Sandwich and is engraved with a small winged skull. The inscription reads:

HERE LYES Ye BODY
OF EZRA PERRY
AGED 64 YEARS
DIED OCTo Ye 16
1689

Ezra Perry Gravestone source: Capecodgravestones.com

Elizabeth Burgess Perry died 26 September 1717 at age 88. She is buried next to her husband at the Old Town Cemetery.

The Mayflower Descendant published a transcription of Ezra Perry’s will which was written in on 16 October 1689, the day of his death:

The will of "Ezra Perry Snr of of manument and Towne of Sandwich" made 16 October, 1689, after providing that his body be buried "at ye ordinary place of burring," disposes of his estate as follows: "All my outward moveables, with out doars and with in doars to my truly and well beloved wife, as my true undoubted and Lawful Executrix .... to dispose of at her pleasure Excepting what I Leave and bequeath to my well beloved Son Samuel Perry that is two stiers of two and one heifer of four years, one mare Coult one Bed and furniture be Longing thereto one gun one Sword and Bandaleers one Iron pot, to my well beloved Son Benjamin Perry two Cowes two steeres about three years old one bed- and its ffurniture one gun one Sword To my Daughter Remember too Cows one bed and its ffurniture, one meare and all her Increse, also to my Son Ezra one Shilling To John Perry my Son one Shilling to Deborah my Daughter wife to Seth Pope one Shilling To Sarah wife to Epharim Swift one Shilling"

The will was signed by a mark. It was witnessed by Jacob Burge (who made his mark) and James Steuart, and probated 18 April 1690.

The inventory, taken 24 October 1689, by Elisha Bourne and Nathaniel Wing, was sworn to by "Elizabeth Perry ye Relict of ye above sd Ezra Perry" on 18 April 1690. The will and inventory were recorded 22 April 1690 by Joseph Lothrop, recorder.

Ezra’s inventory included steers, cows, a bull, horses, swine, tobacco, a sword, pewter and brass and totaled 78 pounds, 8 shillings. It did not included real estate, so perhaps Ezra had already deeded his land to his children.

Thanks for the great info. I am a descendent of Edward Perry, brother to Ezra. He was my 9th Gr Grandfather! Im trying to gather as mauch info and stories/pictures of my family. Very happy to read all your info! Hope to get to MA someday to do more research. Holly Perry

Here's a link to some photos of the headstones- I too am a Perry descendant. http://flic.kr/p/8MQ2Johttp://flic.kr/p/8MQ2BUYou don't get to appreciate the small size of the headstones until you're there- me with the two Perry headstones (now I'm not a little guy, but you get the idea- http://flic.kr/p/8MLXwr

My 9th Great Grandparents Edmund (Edward) PerryBirth 27 January 1587 in Bridford, Devonshire, EnglandDeath 1659 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United StatesBirth 1592 in , , Devon, EnglandDeath 8 Jun 1659 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USAOne of their son's was Ezra. I've been trying to establish when and how the Perry's first came to the colonies. I'm pretty addicted to genealogy also.

Edmund/Edward is my 9th mat. grt. grandfather and the Perry line goes for 11 generations from the time of the Perry emigration to Cape Cod.My mat. grandmother was the last Perry in our lineage.I'm absolutely hooked on genealogy.....it has shown me why I feel so at home whenever I get a chance to go to Cape Cod...I get to the Bourne Bridge and break out in tears as if I'm finally coming home. Add to that the fact that I have several Mayflowers passengers in my lineageand it all makes sense!CHERYL BISHOP 31 Aug. 2015

Thank you for this interesting information. I am a proven Mayflower descendant of William White and Edward Doty from my maternal grandfather. I have just learned that my maternal grandmother was a William Brewster descendant through Era Perry, Jr, and Rebecca Freeman. This line connects with the Stephen Hopkins line in generation 7 when Samuel Perry (1761-1836) marries Jane Jenny Smith (1764-1834) in 1784 in Nova Scotia. Looks like my Perry Line were Loyalists and went to Nova Scotia for about 100 years before returning to Gloucester MA around 1849. My grandparents and my parents are buried at the Rounsevell cemetery in East Freetown, Massachusetts. I attend Mayflower Society meetings in Naples, FL.

Hello everyone, My name is Jennea, I grew up in Massachusetts knowing that I had some "English" in me. I am a descendant of Edward Ezra Perry-Anthony Perry-Samuel Perry- Jasie Isiall Perry- Timothy Perry-Osborn Perry- Oscar Perry- Frederick Nichols Perry- Norma Perry.

I am working on my Mayflower lines, and think that I may have Native American, that was thought to be Cape Verdean and Portuguese lineage, still trying to solve mysteries! This is new information that was only discovered two months ago.

I appear to have Mayflower passenger lines, but have also discovered that my family was here prior to 1620 around Scituate. My father's Cape Verdean and Portuguese side had been present on Cape Code for centuries.

Please forgive me, I am post concussion, typing with one working eyeball.

I am a descendant of Ezra Perry through his son John Perry. My grandmother's maiden name was Perry. Ezra Perry's g.g. son Zebedee Perry came to Maine and started a whole line of Perry's here in Maine. Mable

Thank you for this wonderful research. My grandfather was Perry Weed, descendant of Jonas Weed and Mahitable Perry (great granddaughter of your Ezra). Perry Weed came to CA in the early 1900s, was a pharmacist. Weed's Drugs. Mary

I just happened across this page looking for information on the area as I will be visiting early next week. I had not known about the Aptucxet Trading Post Museum and do want to see that! I believe it is closed on Sun-Mon so I guess we will come Tues.

Ezra is my 8th gr-grandfather so it will be a real treat to see all this!

About Me

I'm a Massachusetts native, a wife, mother of three and a genealogy nut. I work at a Senior Center planning activities and trips. My other loves include crafting, home decorating, reading, my three rescue dogs, and the Red Sox and the Boston Bruins. Email: Please contact me at: tessiecami(at)gmail(dot)com. If you're not a computerized robot, you'll know where to put the "at" sign and "dot." Thank you!